1. Field
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to virtual reality and, more particularly, to virtual reality rides with synchronized motion and individualized virtual viewpoints for each passenger.
2. Related Art
Traditionally, motion simulated rides have, of necessity, been limited to presenting a single, shared viewpoint for all passengers. Typically, a screen is placed at the front of a motion platform and all passengers are oriented to face towards the screen, which presents a single video perspective to which the motion platform can be synchronized. However, this greatly limits the passengers' perspectives.
By contrast, virtual reality systems have typically been limited to single-user, fixed installations due to the inherent difficulty in synchronizing the displays for multiple uses, the lack of uniformity in content display and presentation, and the inherently isolating experience of wearing a head-mounted virtual reality display. As such, what is needed is a system that can provide a synchronized, shared ride experience to a group of passengers with the enhanced immersion provided by synchronized motion simulation. Immersion can further be improved through the additional enhancements made possibly in a ride environment, such as high-fidelity shared audio, rumble-enabled seats, and shared atmospheric effects.